Every semester, as I prepare my syllabus and arrange desks, I think about the students I'll never meet.

Young people whose lives were cut short by gun violence. Bright minds that should be challenging my assumptions, asking difficult questions, contributing fresh perspectives to our discussions. Instead, there are empty chairs and unrealized potential.

I imagine families across the country who sent their children off to school one morning, never knowing it would be the last conversation they'd have. Parents who will never get to see their kids graduate, start careers, or become the adults they were meant to be.

This isn't just individual tragedy, it's collective loss. Our society loses voices, perspectives, and solutions we desperately need. Every classroom shooting doesn't just end lives; it steals possibilities from all of us.

As educators, we must acknowledge this reality while continuing to invest fully in the students who are still here. We teach not just curriculum, but hope and the belief that learning, growing, and engaging across differences can create a better world.

The empty chairs remind us: education is both privilege and responsibility. We must make every conversation count.